Nurse suspended after mixing up medications due to poor English

A nurse employed at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has been suspended for 12 months after a tribunal determined her English language proficiency was inadequate for professional practice. Maureen Jindu Ugbah faced 36 separate sub-charges related to her performance, with seven found not proven due to insufficient evidence or concerning specialist knowledge beyond that expected of a newly qualified nurse.

Medication Mix-up and Communication Issues

The tribunal heard that on July 28, Ms Ugbah attempted to administer simple linctus, a cough syrup, to a patient instead of lactulose, a laxative. This error would have occurred if she had not been supervised, according to a statement from Mr Ridings, Practice Development Nurse on the Acute Assessment Unit. Mr Ridings also noted that Ms Ugbah used terms such as ‘flu’ instead of ‘fluid’ and ‘indecently’ instead of ‘independently’, indicating significant communication difficulties.

Ms Ugbah, who did not attend the hearing, had been working at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust since July 3, 2023. The tribunal concluded that she lacked the necessary knowledge and English language skills to practise as a nurse.

Allegations of Racism

In her defence, Ms Ugbah submitted a written statement alleging that concerns about her abilities were at least partly motivated by racism. She stated that she had completed her degree in English at the University of West London. However, the tribunal panel found no evidence to substantiate these claims and concluded that the concerns raised by the trust were not racially motivated.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) imposed the 12-month suspension order. Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has not yet provided a comment to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.